


Shield Bay Resort

by billie_vivienne, Impala_Chick



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Human, Banter, Beaches, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Business, Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, M/M, Meet-Ugly, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, POV Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Veterans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 21:07:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19035607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billie_vivienne/pseuds/billie_vivienne, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Once Hydra Consultant Bucky Barnes shows up in Oceanside, it can only mean disaster for Shield Bay Resort. Steve, Sam, and Natasha come up with a plan to keep Shield in business. Sam just didn't expect for Bucky to be so... likeable.





	Shield Bay Resort

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my wonderful artist, Billie! The art was super inspiring when I first saw it, and I'm so lucky I got to create this story. I'm a sucker for Bucky and Sam and their snark, and I love beaches, so this was a no-brainer for me. You were a wonderful artist to work with, and I hope you enjoy the final product!
> 
> Thank you so much to [entigral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/entigral/pseuds/entigral) for all of the time and effort beta'ing! You really whipped this plot into something cohesive.

Sam had promised himself that if he made it out of Afghanistan alive, he was not going to reenlist. He didn’t know then that Riley wouldn’t be coming home with him. After being back stateside, he felt hollow and lost. When his family and friends didn’t recognize him anymore, he knew he couldn’t stay.

So he moved out near Oceanside, only about an hour’s drive from the Naval Base. Driven by a need to do more for veterans who had been suffering like him, he’d gone back to school, with a goal of becoming a therapist. He volunteered three days a week helping veterans at the VA, and he felt good about what he was doing.

When Nick Fury bought and refurbished Shield Bay, a historic resort right on the beach, the purchase was all the seaside town could talk about. People were worried that it would bring in a crush of tourists, or that the owners would end up displacing small local businesses. Sam was among those who were skeptical, even if he wasn’t technically a local. He’d only been in Oceanside for a year, but he’d grown to love the place with a fierceness that surprised even himself sometimes. He’d found his second chance at a meaningful life, and he dreaded the idea that something might disrupt his new equilibrium.

But he needn’t have worried. Sam had bumped into Steve Rogers while they were both running on the beach, and was pleased to discover Steve was a real stand up guy. It turned out that Steve and his coworker Natasha Romanoff were committed to keeping Shield Bay small and accessible to all kinds of travelers and locals alike. It didn’t hurt that they were both veterans as well. In fact, almost all of the staff was ex-military. Steve invited him to drop by for a visit, and Sam was immediately struck by the friendly atmosphere and calming surroundings. He realized he’d been missing the friendly camaraderie he’d had with his Falcon squad, and started working at the hotel bar part-time.

\---

Sam was in the middle of closing up when Natasha and Steve walked in, their faces stoic. It definitely seemed like they had some bad news to share.

“Pull up a stool. You guys look like you need a drink,” Sam said as he put down the towel he was drying glasses with.

Natasha squints up at him, her arms crossed, but Steve slumped down onto a stool, his forearms on the bar.

“Maybe the drinks should wait until after we tell you the news,” Steve said wearily.

“Bucky Barnes is working for Hydra,” Natasha said without further preamble. Steve sighed, like the words themselves were an affront to him personally.

Sam blinked and looked between them, sort of at a loss. He’d heard of Hydra before, but just about everyone who worked at Shield Bay had. Apparently Hydra had been behind several plots to close down Shield Bay. Even worse than that was Hydra’s long list of recent acquisitions and power moves. Apparently the company was willing to gobble up any resources it could, to gain monopolies, fire longstanding employees, and hire minimum wage employees only part-time so as to avoid paying benefits. But that didn’t explain why he should care about someone named Bucky Barnes.

“You know you only hired me a month ago. So you’ll have to forgive me when I tell you I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” Sam said, eyebrow raised.

“Hydra is that huge corporation that tried to stage a hostile takeover of another Shield resort last year,” Steve said.

“Yeah, but who the hell is Bucky Barnes?” Sam pressed.

“He’s Steve’s childhood best friend. They served together overseas,” Natasha offered, her eyes flicking to Steve.

“So your bestie switched sides?” Sam asked. “Sounds like maybe he isn’t that great of a guy.”

“I haven’t seen him in years, Sam. But he’s in town. Which can’t be good, if he’s here on Hydra business.” Steve scrubbed a hand through his hair, the lines on his forehead wrinkling as he talked. Steve didn’t look rattled very often, but he definitely looked worried now.

“Okay, well what can we do right now? Seems like we won’t know what he’s planning until he makes a move,” Sam reasoned.

“I wish we could get some kind of jump on him, but I think Sam’s right,” Natasha agreed.

Steve huffed, but gestured towards the bottles stacked behind the bar.

“I guess we better have that drink, then,” Steve said. Sam could definitely help with that.

\---

Sam generally volunteered and attended classes during the day, and didn’t go to the resort until the evening, but there was some work that needed to be done that Tuesday. Sam’s plan was to get to Shield Bay early enough to restock the bar and go over logistics for the wedding rehearsal dinner they had coming in on Thursday, and then leave in time to make it to class.

His plan was derailed as soon as he walked to the parking lot.

The resort’s parking lot was right off the street, and only one edge of the lot touched the sandy beach. The side closest to the beach was about a five minute walk from the resort itself, and there was a wooden footpath connecting the parking lot and the front door. Normally the employees, including Sam, parked as far away from the footpath as possible so as to leave the best spots for their guests.

Sam was on the footpath when he saw a huge black Suburban back out its spot and come dangerously close to hitting his car. Despite the last minute application of the squealing brakes, the Suburban’s bumper hit the front fender of Sam’s Subaru.

The Suburban pulled forward, off of his car, before the driver put it in park. Sam walked towards the front of his car, and groaned at the sight of his fender. There was a noticeable dent in it, and there was a large black smudge across the front.

He felt anger flare up in his gut, and he clenched his fists. That’s when the driver of the black Suburban decided to make his appearance. He was wearing a fitted blue business suit, and a yellow and blue striped tie. His hair was gelled professionally, and he had a well-groomed beard. Which definitely didn’t make him hard on the eyes. But that wasn’t the point.

“What the hell, man?” Sam asked.

“Look, my company will pay for it. I’m working, after all,” the driver said with a shrug, as if he couldn’t care less.

Sam huffed. If this guy thought he could just pay his way out of this, he had another thing coming.

“Really? That’s it? You _hit_ my car.”

The man took up a defensive stance then, his shoulders squared and his feet planted. He stared Sam down, and Sam got the feeling he did that often. But Sam didn’t shrink from his gaze.

“Jesus Christ. Just give me your insurance and driver’s license, I have to get to class,” Sam said.

“Do you work there?” The man pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the resort, his voice condescending, and Sam bristled.

“Weren’t you just leaving?” Sam asked, thinking that maybe he had just pissed off a customer.

“I was trying to have a meeting with your boss, but he refused,” the man explained, his voice hard.

The wheels started to turn in Sam’s head. _Shit_.

“Does your name happen to be Barnes?” Sam asked. The man’s eyes widened in shock briefly, but quickly schooled his expression.

Instead of answering, he pulled a card out from his wallet and handed it to Sam. Sam took it, but he already knew what it was going to say.

_James B. Barnes, HYDRA Consultant_

There was a graphic of a black octopus with tentacles inside a black circle in the upper left hand corner.

“You can call my people, they’ll take care of it. And you are?”

“Sam Wilson,” Sam said flatly. He tucked the card in his pocket, and crossed his arms.

“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you, Sam,” Bucky said with a toothy smile, which reminded Sam of a shark. And then he watched Bucky climb back into his car and reverse it.

It turned out Steve was right to be worried, because James Barnes was a total jackass.

\---

Instead of going to class, Sam stormed into the lobby of the hotel, his blood pounding in his ears. The _nerve_ of that guy was unreal. He saw Nat, and she immediately raised an eyebrow and followed him as he walked behind the counter and into the employee office. Steve was already sitting inside, and he looked up expectantly as Sam stormed in. He immediately stood up when he saw Sam’s expression, and Nat shut the door.

“What-?”

“I met your friend, Barnes. In the parking lot,” Sam blurted out, his voice tense as he crossed his arms.

“It looks like he made a good impression,” Nat scoffed.

“What did he say?” Steve asked, his face scrunched up in worry.

“He tried to meet up with Fury, but he wasn’t in. So he decided to drive recklessly and hit my car.”

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Steve asked immediately as he put his hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam appreciated the concern, but that was not the point.

“I wasn’t in the car at the time,” Sam reassured him. Nat had gone suspiciously quiet. Sam looked over at her, and she had her hand on her hip, considering something. Steve followed Sam’s line of sight.

“Nat?” Steve asked.

“Fury called earlier. He’s coming to the resort tonight. He didn’t tell me why, but he said he had to take some business meetings and to keep the Quinjet Conference Room open.”

Sam groaned. “You don’t think he’d actually meet with Barnes, do you?”

“Maybe he wants to keep his ear to the ground, find out what they want,” Nat guessed.

“Well, we need to know what Bucky says. Maybe we can talk him out of whatever it is.” Steve started pacing the room. “Can you get in that meeting, Nat?”

Sam stared at Steve, incredulous. “Talk him out of it? The man is deranged, Steve. And he is paid by Hydra. They’ll never leave us alone until they get what they want. We should just lock him in a room until he agrees to leave or something.”

Steve looked over at him with narrowed eyes, and crossed his arms.

“You don’t know him like I do, Sam. If he’s still Bucky, he’s not going to do anything unreasonable. I just have to talk to him first,” Steve said.

Nat chimed in with a smile on her face. “Although, the whole locked-room thing isn’t a bad idea. What if I just send him to the wrong meeting room? With the two of you already in it? Then he has to talk to you.”

Steve actually paused to consider it, and Sam internally crossed his fingers. But then Steve shook his head.

“We have to know what he plans on saying first. Can we eavesdrop on the meeting? And then corner him afterwards,” Steve decided.

“Oh, I’ve got the eavesdropping covered,” Nat said with a nod.

“Okay, so it’s settled. Tonight, Sam and I will listen in from the employee office. Nat will gather intel from the meeting, and then we will get Bucky to talk to us afterwards.” Steve nodded towards Sam, and Sam nodded back. The plan seemed doable, although what they could possibly say to get Barnes to act any differently was a mystery to Sam.

“Just one problem, how am I going to communicate with you both?” Nat asked.

Sam was reminded of a purchase order he had put in a few months ago.

“Finally, those extra bluetooth headphones we bought for the hotel are going to come in handy!” Sam said. He reached over and pulled open a desk drawer to reveal three brand new boxes. He pulled them out and handed one to Steve and one to Nat.

“I feel like a spy already,” Nat said as she opened the box. Sam grinned. With any luck at all, tonight wouldn’t be a total disaster.

\---

Sam had grown to love the resort, just as so many other locals had. It really was a beacon for so many. His favorite events were weddings and anniversary parties on the beach. He thought back to the previous weekend’s rehearsal dinner, when he’d helped keep the wine flowing at the bar. He’d received a great deal of compliments on the resort, but the real reward had been seeing so many smiling faces and feeling the love in the room. He was proud to be part of an establishment that helped create such wonderful moments, and he feared what could happen to the resort if a huge company like Hydra were to take over.

Sam sat in the office with Steve, the door only open a crack, listening for someone to come up to the front desk where Nat waited. Fury had already greeted them both and headed upstairs, so Barnes was probably due to arrive any minute. Sam’s knee kept bouncing up and down until he caught himself. He wasn’t nervous, exactly. But he did feel his gut twisting up at the thought of confronting Barnes again. If he had ever actually been Steve’s friend, he couldn’t be all bad. But the _look_ he’d given Sam in the parking lot, as if he could see through him, had been unsettling. Sam kept picturing that gaze on him again, and the thought made his stomach drop. He couldn't tell if he welcomed it or dreaded it.

Steve, for his part, was also looking tense. He kept glancing up at the clock on the wall, and tapping his finger against the desk.

“He’ll probably just make another cash offer,” Steve said. “And no amount of money could make Fury sell this place.”

“Are you sure about that?” Sam asked skeptically. And then they heard Nat’s voice addressing someone. Sam and Steve both swiveled in their chairs and strained towards the door to hear.

“It’s right up the stairs, to your left,” they heard Nat explain. Steve nodded to Sam.Their target had arrived. Sam hastily stuffed a bluetooth earbud into his ear, and saw Steve do the same. They waited until Nat popped her head into the office.

“Okay, I’m heading up,” Nat said as she tapped the headphone in her ear. She got out her cell phone, called Steve and then called Sam and merged the calls.

“Mic check one-two,” Nat said. Sam could hear her voice through the headphones.

“Roger,” Steve replied. Sam could hear his voice as well. He gave a thumbs up, and then Natasha was gone.

“You know how she’s going to eavesdrop?” Sam asked, curious.

Steve smirked. “Something about air vents. We probably don’t want to know the details.” Sam laughed.

Steve and Sam waited in tense silence for about ten more minutes before Nat finally spoke again.

“Barnes is saying they are offering a price significantly above market value for all shares in Shield,” Nat whispered. There was a brief pause. Sam looked over at Steve, whose lips were pressed together as he listened. Nat continued. “He said they are taking the offer directly to the shareholders, because management already rejected the offer. And Hydra thinks they have enough shareholder votes to win.”

Steve sucked in a breath, and Sam raised his eyebrow. This must not have been a scenario that Steve had anticipated.

“He’s talking about a hostile takeover,” Steve hissed.

Natasha whispered over the phone line again. “Fury is saying it’ll never work, because the board likes what Fury has done with the place. He’s saying the shareholders won't take the money.” Sam breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Fury was standing his ground.

Natasha continued, “Barnes says he has blackmail material on at least four shareholders, which is a majority.”

Sam blew out a breath. If that was true, then why the hell was Barnes talking to Fury at all? Maybe there was nothing they could do to stop him.

“He’s saying he wanted to give Fury the chance to reconsider. If he agrees, he can keep working at the resort, under Hydra,” Natasha muttered. Her voice sounded worried, as if the meeting had taken a turn for the worse.

“As if he’d ever do that,” Steve bit out, angry. Sam saw his fists clenched against his thighs, and couldn’t blame him. Things had clearly escalated quickly.

“He said Fury has 24 hours. He’s leaving,” Natasha said. Steve jumped up and out of the room.

“Let me talk to him,” Steve said under his breath. Sam quickly followed, lagging behind as Steve walked briskly. Sam had no idea what Steve was planning on doing, but Sam felt ready for a fight. Steve hit the bottom of the stairs at the same time as Barnes and they nearly crashed into each other before Barnes came to a halt.

“Bucky?” Steve asked, feigning surprise. Sam stood next to Steve, curious as to how Barnes would react. Barnes didn’t look startled in the slightest. In fact, his calm demeanor implied he clearly felt he was in control of the situation.

“No one calls me that anymore, Stevie,” Barnes smiled and stuck his hand out in greeting. “But it’s good to see you.” Steve shook his hand with a dorky grin on his face.

“Buck, this is my friend, Sam. I believe you guys have already met?” Steve said, gesturing to his left where Sam stood.

Barnes assessed Sam, his eyes roving over Sam’s body. Sam felt himself shiver. “We have,” Barnes said simply. Something about Barnes’ calm demeanor and steady tone made Sam angry. There was nothing dignified about what he’d just done during the meeting, or what he’d done to Sam’s car in the parking lot, and yet he was acting like everything was business as usual. Sam rolled his eyes and stepped forward, ready to throw out the plan and tell Barnes where he could stick his shitty blackmail tactics, when Steve put his hand up. Sam bit his tongue, but only just.

“Look, since you’re in town, you should come out for drinks with me. You could use my spare room if you want to crash tonight,” Steve suggested.

Sam thought going out drinking with Barnes was an extremely bad idea, and he hoped that his glare conveyed that.

“I’ll take you up on that. It might be good to catch up,” Barnes finally said as he looked between Steve and Sam.

Steve beamed. “Great! I’m off in an hour,” Steve said as he walked back toward the front desk. Barnes followed, a smirk firmly settled on his face.

Sam was seething, but Steve shot him a hopeful look as soon as Barnes’ back was to them, like he really thought this was a good idea. Sam nodded his head towards the bar, hoping to convey that he was going to get back to work. There wasn’t anything else he could do at that point, anyway.

And he felt like he needed to get as far away from Barnes as possible before he said something stupid.

\---

The resort bar had been relatively empty so far. Sam was idly stacking whiskey glasses when he looked up and met Barnes’ eyes. Sam clocked his tight black leather jacket, and dark blue jeans, which fit as if they were glued on. And his hair looked just as perfectly styled as it did when he met him. He could see Barnes pause for a moment, like he was considering just walking right back out of the bar. But then he set his shoulders and took a seat on one of the bar stools.

Sam grit his teeth, because his first instinct was to refuse service, considering the man was trying to buy the place from under them. But then he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to know that information. Maybe he shouldn’t start off the conversation by being rude.

“Can I get you something?” Sam asked, feigning politeness.

Barnes looked up at him, eyes narrowed, studying Sam. Sam pointedly turned his back to busy himself and grabbed some whiskey bottles down from the shelf.

“I really am sorry about your car, you know.”

Sam turned back around, slightly surprised that Barnes was opening with that.

“Maybe we could start again? I’m Bucky,” Barnes said, his voice neutral.

“I thought no one called you that anymore,” Sam reminded him of what he’d said to Steve.

“Well, I had a nice long chat with Stevie today and I’ve decided that Bucky isn’t so bad. It reminds me of my roots,” he said with a shy smile. If he was trying to charm Sam, it wasn’t going to work.

“Did you want a drink or -?” Sam pressed, slightly annoyed. Sam wasn’t exactly interested in Bucky’s tragic backstory.

“Sure, whiskey on the rocks,” Bucky said. Sam scooped some ice into a glass and poured from the bottle he’d gotten down earlier. Bucky nodded as he accepted the glass, and took a long pull from it. Sam watched his throat work as he swallowed, at least until Bucky met his eyes over the rim of this glass. Sam turned away like he’d been slapped. He groaned inwardly, mad at himself for getting caught.

“Sam, I’m really not all bad, you know,” Bucky drawled, his voice pitched low. “Unless you want me to be.” Now that he’d caught Sam staring, he was clearly feeling confident. Sam rounded on him, pissed. All the things he had wanted to say since he’d heard Bucky earlier started to tumble out of his mouth.

“You can’t just waltz in here and try to take over Shield without a fight. I love working for this place. It’s a gathering spot for the community. We hold countless family functions within these walls, from all of the weddings, birthdays, retirements, and anniversaries we’ve hosted. We source local ingredients, we provide jobs to locals with good wages and benefits, and we’re like a family here. Steve and Nat make sure of that. So for you to act like this is all a big fucking joke is not cute.” Sam had to pause for breath. He could feel his fists clenched at his sides, and his heart was hammering.

He’d at least managed to wipe the grin off Bucky’s face.

“You know why I’m here, then. Were you listening in on the meeting, earlier?” Bucky finally asked, his voice calm.

“Steve didn’t tell you? No, I guess he wouldn’t. He thinks you’ll come around with kindness and patience, but that’s not really my style, Bucky,” Sam bit out, his hands on his hips. Bucky narrowed his eyes and leaned back from the bar. Sam wasn’t sure whether Bucky was going to hit him or walk away. Sam braced himself and waited with bated breath.

Bucky did neither.

“If Fury makes the right decision, I won’t have to do anything nasty,” Bucky finally said.

“But why do you have to do anything? What has Hydra ever done for you, anyway?” Sam asked. Bucky cocked his head as he contemplated. Bucky’s eyes darted towards the floor, like whatever he was thinking about was embarrassing. And then he sighed heavily.

“They gave me a job when no one else would. I was in a bad spot after coming home from deployment, and they have dirt on me. The things I’ve done, I’m not exactly a model citizen,” Bucky admitted softly. Sam was taken aback. Bucky’s shoulders had slumped, and his hair was covering his face, making him seem smaller. He was wringing his hands in his lap, and he wouldn’t make eye contact with Sam. It was like all of Bucky’s earlier confidence had melted away, and he was a different person now.

Sam was generally pretty good at reading people, and this didn’t seem like an act anymore.

“You know, we’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. That doesn’t mean we can’t change,” Sam said softly, imagining what Steve might have said. He still felt wary, but maybe Bucky wasn’t as big of a dick as he seemed.

Bucky shook the hair out of his face and looked up at Sam with a small smile.

“You believe that? Because Hydra sure doesn’t. They’d blacklist me for sure,” Bucky said, his face pinched as he considered his options.

Maybe there was still time for Bucky to make the right decision.

Sam nodded.

“Look, I’m not saying you’re not an asshole, but maybe doing the resort a solid would make you feel good about yourself. It’s the little things, ya know?” Sam said.

Bucky laughed, with his head thrown back and his eyes sparkling. The soft overhead lights were illuminating his face. Sam decided right then to admit he was beautiful, even if he wasn’t going to say it out loud.

And then Bucky downed the rest of his drink and got up from the bar stool.

“This asshole has someone he has to go speak with. But thanks, Sam,” Bucky said. Sam nodded, and watched Bucky head out of the dimly lit bar. It wasn’t a bad view.

\---

Sam was hiding out in the employee office, waiting for Steve to come back from lunch with Bucky. He could feel his chest tightening from apprehension. In an hour’s time he might not have a job anymore. There might not be a Shield Bay Resort anymore. The clock was ticking. They only had an hour until Bucky’s 24 hour deadline was up, and Sam was really hoping for some kind of miracle.

The group text between him, Nat, and Steve had been blowing up all morning as they tried to figure out if they had any last minute plays. Nat had apparently stayed up all night researching Hydra executives, and had found some pretty nasty dirt, but Steve said he didn’t want to hand that information over to Bucky until he’d had a chance to speak with him. For his part, Sam had been diligently trying to find whatever blackmail Bucky had in his possession, but Google was completely unhelpful. Steve had convinced Bucky to go to lunch with him, and Sam had searched Steve’s guest room while they were out, but he’d only found more suits, neatly hanging in the closet, and a well-organized toiletry bag. The man didn’t even have a laptop. Or if he did, he took it with him.

Nat was manning the front desk, because she told Sam he paced too much and it was stressing her out. He could hear her nails tapping against the wood of the desk though, so she wasn’t much better.

“Romanoff,” Sam heard a deep voice say in greeting. It had to be Fury. Sam poked his head out the door.

“Has our Hydra friend made an appearance yet?” Fury asked as he leaned against the front desk, his sunglasses still on.

“No, Sir.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll show. Listen, whatever happens to Shield, I’ll make sure you guys come out okay. You too Sam,” Fury said as he nodded his head towards Sam.

“Thanks, sir,” Sam said awkwardly. He’d only spoken to Fury one other time, on the day of his employee orientation.

Fury made his way up the stairs, and Sam came out of the office to stand next to Nat.

“Sounds like he’s not going to agree to the deal, then?” Sam asked Nat. She shook her head.

“No, but we already knew he wouldn’t. It’s the right thing to do. We shouldn’t give in to blackmail for the same reason we shouldn’t blackmail Hydra. Although I’m kind of hoping Steve will change his mind on that,” Nat said. Sam had half a mind to agree with Nat.

And then two shadows crossed in front of the glass front doors, and Steve and Bucky walked in. Bucky wasn’t in a business suit. They were both just wearing jeans and button-ups, and they were smiling jovially. The sight immediately caused Sam to relax his fingers even though he hadn’t realized he had been clenching his fists. Surely Steve wouldn’t look that pleased if Bucky was going to go through with his plan.

Bucky looked up and met Sam’s gaze, and his smile softened. Sam quirked his eyebrow and flat out refused to smile back until he knew what was going to happen for sure.

Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder, and gestured towards Nat and Sam with his other hand. He was apparently going to let Bucky explain.

“So, I quit. Not sure that will help your resort,” Bucky said with a shrug as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Sam finally let a smile brighten his face. This was better than he’d hoped for and not at all what he’d expected. Maybe he'd underestimated Bucky.

“That’ll put a wrench in their plans for sure,” Nat said, beaming.

“But then, what about you?” Sam asked, remembering what Bucky had said the previous night.

Bucky just shrugged again.

“The world of finance really isn’t my thing anymore. I think I want to try living by the beach, eat some tacos, maybe crash in Steve’s guest room for awhile,” Bucky said with a smile directed at Sam. Sam felt his insides twist up in confusion, because instead of thinking about Hydra, or car accidents, or blackmail, he just wanted to reach out and touch Bucky’s arm, or his hand, or his face.

“How about I pick up some tacos while you guys strategize with Fury?” Sam said in lieu of a thank you. He kind of figured Bucky wasn’t one for grand gestures of gratitude anyway.

“Sounds like a plan,” Steve said as he nodded towards Nat. She grabbed her file folder filled with incriminating Hydra information out from the under the desk, and headed up the stairs with Steve. Sam put out the “will be back soon” sign, and stepped out from behind the desk to find that Bucky had waited for him.

“Look, I know we had our differences, but I’m glad you talked to me last night,” Bucky said, his voice soft. “I had to think about some things, make some hard choices, and you helped. Steve tells me you’re trying to be a therapist. I think you’ll make a pretty good one.”

Sam was hung up on the fact that Bucky talked to Steve about _him_ , so he didn’t respond right away, but then he said, “Oh don’t worry, that session was on the house.”

Bucky laughed, and gave a little wave as he started up the stairs after Steve and Nat, still smirking.

\---

After the meeting with Fury, Bucky said a simple goodbye before he walked out of the resort, his shoulders relaxed as if a weight had been lifted. Sam had resolutely decided not to be sad about seeing him leave.

Steve explained later that Fury had agreed to use the bank records Nat had found, belonging to Hydra’s secret off-the-books operations. Embezzlement and illegal arms dealing seemed to be par for the course for them, and Fury had made some calls to get them to back off after threatening to go public. Steve had some ideas about what they should actually do with the information in the future, but for now they waited to see what Hydra’s next move was going to be.

Sam had only seen Bucky once since the meeting with Fury. He’d breezed into the hotel in board shorts and a fairly tight t-shirt, made Sam’s mouth go dry, and then promptly breezed back out, apparently intent on hitting the beach alone.

With the Hydra threat seemingly neutralized, at least for the moment, Sam had little else to do except daydream. Sam tried not to ask Steve about him, but he couldn’t help himself one day as Steve helped him stock the bar.

“How’s Bucky?” Sam asked.

Steve smiled slyly, like he knew exactly why Sam was asking, but he didn’t tease him.

“He’s taking some much-needed down time. But he’ll be around. You should come over for dinner tonight.” Steve kept right on stacking boxes, giving nothing away.

Sam tried to mirror Steve’s calm demeanor so as to keep his excitement at bay.

\---

Nat managed a whole two weeks before grilling Sam.

“So, you going to dinner with Bucky again tonight?” She asked with a smirk. Sam’s eyes flicked over to Steve, was smiling softly but kept walking through the lobby, pretending like he hadn’t heard.

Sam rolled his eyes. The three of them were busy hauling in a delivery of paper products. Nat was blocking the loading dock so he couldn’t get back to the delivery truck without answering.

“Yeah, so?” Sam answered. He hoped he imagined the nervous waver in his voice.

“By my count you’ve had dinner together eight out of the last fourteen days,” Nat pointed out. But she mercifully stepped out of the way so that Sam didn’t have to meet her assessing gaze anymore.

“Well if you’re counting, you should also note that Steve was there five of those times,” Sam huffed. Steve hefted his box onto his shoulders before moving out of the way, and Sam reached into the delivery truck to pull out another.

“Right. But before Bucky came around, how often did you cook at Steve’s?” Nat asked as she came up behind him.

“You - I - I’ve cooked for you, haven’t I?” Sam remembered being in Steve’s kitchen at least a couple times before Bucky showed up. Cooking always soothed Sam. It gave him something to do with his hands, and it made him feel like he was providing for others.

Steve, holding the door open, nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah, you did, when we all crashed at my place after that party. Or that other time you hosted poker night,” Steve said.

“You see? Not that weird to help out a little,” Sam said triumphantly, giving Nat a pointed look over his shoulder as he walked into the employee office.

“But,” Steve continued. “Those were big group occasions. This thing between you and Bucky… it seems different.”

Thinking back, Sam now remembered cooking Bucky spaghetti and meatballs before Steve had even gotten home from work. Bucky sat on one of Steve’s barstools and watched Sam work, and they’d ribbed each other the entire time, although Sam couldn’t remember what exactly they’d teased each other about. Other memories flooded Sam’s mind, like Bucky laughing over Chinese take-out, or Bucky singing along to the radio as they drove to Steve’s favorite sandwich shop. Bucky’s bright smile and loud laugh featured prominently in all of those memories. And his clear blue eyes, and his perfect beard, and his broad shoulders.

“Well, shit,” Sam mumbled under his breath.

Nat laughed at him but walked back out to the truck, her face smug.

Steve squeezed his shoulder briefly on the way back to the truck. Sam was still standing dumbly, caught somewhere between embarrassed and excited, because if Sam had been so obvious, Bucky was probably aware of his affections. And yet he had still made plans to meet up with Sam and Steve at the end of the week.

“You’re both adults and I know you don’t need my advice, but you seem to be good for each other,” Steve said as they walked out of the office together.

Sam smiled. Steve wouldn’t say that unless he meant it.

\---

Sam was at the front desk when Bucky came in later that day. He put his shades on top of his head and walked right up to Sam. He was wearing khaki shorts and a light blue button-up, and he looked absolutely radiant from the sunlight he’d been soaking up.

“Hey. I can get Steve,” Sam said as he reluctantly picked up the desk phone.

“I was actually here to see you,” Bucky drawled. Sam put the phone back down.

“Oh, really?” Sam asked, intrigued. He felt his heart start pounding in his chest.

“Yeah. When’s your shift over?” Bucky asked as he put his elbows on the desk and leaned in.

“If you’re asking me out, you’ll have to do better than that cliched line,” Sam teased. But he already knew what he was going to say.

“So, dinner then? On the beach?” Bucky charged on bravely, even though his smile faltered a little at Sam’s words.

Sam didn’t want to keep him waiting with bated breath forever. But maybe just a bit longer.

He held up his finger and picked up the phone. Bucky bit his bottom lip, confused.

Steve picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, Steve. Remember how you kind of owe me from when I took over your Saturday shift last weekend?”

Sam looked up at Bucky and nearly missed Steve’s reply because he was too busy watching the smile bloom anew on Bucky’s face.

“You calling in that favor?” Steve asked over the phone.

“Sure am, buddy,” Sam said, his eyes never leaving Bucky’s.

“Be right there. I’m actually upstairs doing some inventory anyway,” Steve said. Sam hung up the phone, and leaned forward on the desk. Bucky didn’t back away, and they were close enough to share a breath.

“I’m definitely not letting you pick the place, by the way,” Sam warned.

Bucky’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in mock horror.

“You don’t think I can pick out good Mexican food? I’ve already lived here a month, I’m practically a local,” Bucky replied facetiously.

Just then, someone loudly cleared his throat near them.

“Perfect timing, Stevie,” Bucky said as he stepped away from the desk, still beaming.

“Thanks, Steve,” Sam said as he clapped Steve on the shoulder. Steve had a goofy grin on his face as he looked between them. Sam grabbed his keys and stepped out from behind the desk.

Bucky bumped his shoulder into Sam’s as they walked out of the resort, and Sam felt those pesky butterflies in his stomach again. But he wasn’t complaining.

\---

Not to be outdone, Sam planned their next date night. Sam took extra care getting dressed, trying on four different shirts before he settled on a striped blue and white button up and dark wash jeans. And then he texted Bucky and pushed back their plans a little, so that he could pick him up right before sunset.

Sam stuffed a couple beach blankets into his car, picked up burritos from Roberto’s, and then drove over to Steve’s place. He texted Bucky to come outside, and then got out to open the passenger side door for him. Bucky was wearing tight jeans, black boots, and a simple white t-shirt, and Sam’s stomach did a somersault.

“Dinner on the beach?” Sam asked as he leaned on the still-open door. Bucky lowered himself into the seat with narrowed eyes.

“What’s the occasion? Have you been sent to butter me up?” Bucky asked, his voice lightly accusing. Sam tilted his head, confused. Bucky was gazing intently at his expression, so Sam shut the door gently to give himself time to gather his thoughts. He rounded the front of the car, and wondered how he’d made Bucky uncomfortable.

He got in the driver’s seat and turned to Bucky, ready to apologize for whatever it was he’d done, but Bucky spoke up first.

“Steve just asked if I wanted to work at Shield Bay,” Bucky said. “You look like you had no idea.”

Sam shook his head and sighed, somewhat relieved. Bucky wasn’t mad at him, then. “I didn’t know. I take it you told him no?”

“I know Steve means well.” Bucky kept his eyes on his own hands, which were clasped firmly on his thighs.

“Shield Bay isn’t all bad, you know. We have fun occasionally,” Sam joked as he started driving.

“It’s not that. I just don’t want to work with you,” Bucky said softly. Sam glanced over at him, but Bucky was looking out the window. Sam felt his heart drop right into his shoes, and it was suddenly very hard to breath.

“Oh. Well, we don’t have to hang out tonight. I can turn around at the next intersection.” Sam fought to keep his voice neutral, but his skin was prickling from how embarrassed he felt. Apparently Bucky didn’t want to have to deal with him on a day to day basis.

“No, you misunderstand.” Sam felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He leaned into it without even thinking, while keeping his focus on the road. “I don’t want to work there because Steve told me that you aren’t supposed to date your superiors.”

Sam did glance over at Bucky then, not quite believing his ears. Bucky was grinning devilishly, like he’d known exactly what he’d just done. Sam shook his head, laughing breathlessly. He felt his chest loosen up, the tension evaporating from the car in an instant.

“I don’t think that’d be a problem, considering you are definitely not my superior,” Sam teased.

“My years of business experience would beg to differ,” Bucky shot back.

“Unfortunately Shield Bay isn’t really looking for supervisors who are adept at hitting parked cars,” Sam said.

“Right, but it seems like they aren’t opposed to blackmail,” Bucky snarked.

“Only when people deserve it. Namely, Hydra,” Sam said as he turned into the beach parking lot.

“Fair point,” Bucky agreed. “At least Hydra honored the separation package that was in my contract.”

Sam laughed, which got Bucky laughing too, and as Sam parked the car he gestured into his backseat, where the take-out bag was nestled on top of the beach blanket. Bucky grabbed the bag, handed Steve the blanket, and they walked past a group of people to claim an empty spot.

Sam spread out the blanket, and they sat down side by side to watch the setting sun. Bright orange and pink and purple hues from the sky reflected off the Pacific , drenching the beach in a soft but warm glow. The sight was breathtaking, but Sam was distracted by the pressure and warmth of Bucky’s hand, which he had placed on top of Sam’s on the blanket.

Sam glanced over, but Bucky was staring out at the ocean, a soft smile on his face.

“Can I kiss you now?” Sam breathed.

“Thought you’d never ask,” Bucky said. He leaned in, lips firmly pressing against Sam’s. Sam sucked at Bucky’s bottom lip, and the crashing of the waves against the shore mirrored the sound of his pounding heartbeat. Sam melted against Bucky, his palm gliding against Bucky’s forearm, his shoulder, and then his cheek, holding his face as they kissed.

Sam pulled away, and Bucky ducked his head, looking away shyly.

“It’s just… we gotta eat these burritos before they get cold,” Sam said as he swiped his thumb across his bottom lip, feeling the residual heat from Bucky’s mouth.

Bucky watched him, humming his agreement.

“And after the burritos?”

“Maybe you can come back to my place?” Sam ventured, feeling bold.

“Depends. Are you going to make me breakfast?” Bucky’s eyes twinkled as he raised an eyebrow.

“I could probably do that,” Sam said as he looked back out at the ocean. Bucky handed him his burrito, and they leaned against each other while they ate in companionable silence, anticipation thick between them.

\---

When they got back to Sam’s apartment, he and Bucky fit together like there was some kind of magnetic force pulling Sam to Bucky. As soon as the door was shut they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Bucky was bold and fearless as he pushed Sam against the wall in the hallway. He bit at Sam’s bottom lip while his thigh slid in between Sam’s, and pushed against Sam’s hardening cock. Sam almost forgot to breathe as Bucky kissed him fiercely, hands squeezing Sam’s ass.

Sam pulled Bucky towards the bedroom, yanking Bucky’s t-shirt off as they went. Bucky stumbled as he walked backwards, but Sam caught his arm to hold him upright, and they both chuckled breathlessly.

Once on the bed, Sam gently pushed Bucky down and climbed on top of him. Bucky slid his hands under Sam’s shirt, and then undid his buttons. Sam looked down, watching as Bucky’s deft fingers made quick work of his shirt, his lips parted and swollen from the way they’d been pressed against Sam’s.

Sam felt light headed as all of the blood in his body moved south, eager to give Bucky whatever he wanted.

\---

Sam woke up first the next morning and made breakfast as promised, grateful for the opportunity to do something he was good at, something that was just for Bucky to enjoy. Bucky padded out to Sam’s kitchen while the bacon was sizzling, shirtless, his borrowed sweatpants riding low on his hips. The sight of Bucky dressed in his clothes was very distracting, but Sam managed to turn away in time to save the bacon.

Bucky took out plates and cups and made two place settings on the long kitchen counter, and that made Sam inexplicably happy. Bucky took a seat on one of the bar stools, and it felt like Bucky already belonged there, with him.

As Sam dished out the scrambled eggs, Bucky caught his eye and opened his mouth to speak, but paused.

Sam shut off the stove and turned his full attention to Bucky, still happily surprised that Bucky had stayed over. They weren’t just spending time together because Sam worked at the resort, or was friends with Steve. Bucky had stayed over at Sam’s place because he wanted to, and that seemed like it meant something.

“I have a plan, you know,” Bucky said slowly. “I don’t want to work at the resort, but you know that surf shop a few blocks away? The one that rents boards and kayaks?”

Sam nodded, picturing the faded blue storefront that rented and sold water sports equipment and gear. He’d passed it many times when he’d run on the beach.

“Well, the owner’s name is George. And get this - he’s retiring.” Bucky pointed his fork at Sam and wiggled his eyebrows, like he’d just let Sam in on a fantastic secret.

“You charmer,” Sam said with a slow grin as the implication of what Bucky was saying dawned on him. “I wonder if there’s anyone around here, maybe in this kitchen, who’d be willing to take over for him.”

Sam faced Bucky, his hip resting against the countertop, and watched as Bucky started to dig in to his breakfast.

“Yeah, but who’d want to hang around this town and put up with you?” Bucky said offhand as he ate.

Sam laughed, and Bucky met his eyes, a smile curling the corners of his lips. Bucky’s bare chest reminded Sam of the night before, when Bucky’s skin had been smooth and taut under his fingertips. Now, the bright sunlight streaming in through the glass patio doors made his sun bronzed body glow, and Sam just wanted to touch.

Sam held that thought, at least until breakfast was over. It seemed like Bucky was going to stick around for awhile. Sam could be patient.


End file.
